Hugh Carberry is the original Hardman. He won the very first long-distance triathlon in Killarney in 2011 and personifies what it means to be a Hardman. Hugh is a superb athlete, but he is also a real person with an actual life. He is not a slave to equipment and gadgets and would rather spend time kicking a ball around with his kids than sweating over his stats. That said, he didn’t just roll out of bed and complete the full in 10:44:54…

Over the course of 2020, we will be publishing Hugh’s tips for training and racing long, so you will be all set to complete the Hardman on August 29. To give you head start, here is the first installment: 

The Road to Hardman: Step 1

“This week’s word is ROUTINE. This means fitting your training around your ‘real’ life. More important than a really long bike or run, you need to find a way to fit 2-3 swims, bikes & runs a week around your life. It can take a while to find your routine (it took me about a month this year); you’ll know you’ve found it when you start not realising the effort you’re putting in to get your sessions in. Maybe you’ll get up early two mornings a week to swim, maybe you’ll skip lunch with your colleagues to get a 30 minute run in. But once you’re in the swing of it it should be just ‘what you do.’ Once it becomes ‘what you do’, it will become unusual NOT to do it. 

So if you’ve found your routine, great! If not, go find it NOW. “

Until next time, 

Hugh